Alaafin seeks justice as Adams mourns

Bandits, yesterday morning, kidnapped a policeman, Ezra John, attached to the Lade Division in Patigi Local Council of Kwara State.

Reacting, former Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Mahalia Aisha Ahman-Pategi, said that the growing wave of insurgency in the state had become too daring and worrisome.
 
Reports said Officer Ezra was abducted while returning from an official duty at Patigi General Hospital.
 
According to a source, he was overpowered and seized along the Patigi–Lade Road, an area notorious for criminal activities.
 
The abduction has heightened concerns over growing insecurity in Patigi and its environs, with renewed calls for stronger security measures to protect lives and property.

Ahman-Pategi, while addressing newsmen, pleaded for urgent action and collaboration among security agencies.

But the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has urged Nigerians to unite against perpetrators of bloodshed and insecurity, following the recent killings of Yoruba natives by suspected Fulani herdsmen at Oke Ode in Kwara State.
 
Disturbed by the incident, the monarch described the attackers as “blood guzzlers and enemies of state, nature and sound reasoning” who must not be allowed to go unpunished.
 
This was contained in a statement made available to journalists in Oyo by the media aide to the monarch, Bode Durojaiye. 
 
Oba Owoade, who noted that Yorubas and Fulanis had lived harmoniously for decades without hostility, expressed concern over the recurring violence linked to herders. He disclosed that he had already reached out to the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, on the matter and possible measures to forestall further attacks.
 
In his remarks, Governor AbdulRasaq lauded the Alaafin’s intervention, describing him as a visionary leader and “Titan of Yorubaland.” 
 
He assured the monarch that a battalion of soldiers had been deployed to the troubled area to restore order. 
 
The Alaafin, while commending security agencies for their commitment, urged the Federal Government to ensure that those responsible for the killings are identified and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.
“Government, political leaders and followers must have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of our insecurity, now worsened by criminality, insurgency and terrorism by herdsmen,” he said. 

Similarly, the Aareonakankanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Adams, yesterday, extended his heartfelt condolences to the families and communities affected by the senseless violence, and also to the state government.
 
He called on all government agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force and other security operatives, to intensify efforts in securing the lives and properties of citizens in Oke Ode and its environs. 
 
He urged relevant authorities to act swiftly and decisively to bring perpetrators of the massacre to justice, and to provide support to the victims.
 
He said he was particularly pained that such mindless killings were still taking place despite the repeated calls he had made for heightened security alertness across the Southwest and parts of Kogi and Kwara states, based on intelligence reports that the region had a heavy presence of terrorists masquerading as bandits.  

Many communities in Kwara and Kogi States have, in recent times, been under incessant attacks from armed bandits, resulting in loss of lives and property. 
 
Adams implored the people of Oke Ode and neighbouring communities, and other Yoruba-speaking areas in Kwara and Kogi, to remain vigilant and cooperate fully with security agencies by providing timely information on suspicious activities. 
 
He noted that security is a shared responsibility, and community partnership is essential in combating crime and ensuring lasting peace.